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. Sonnet 7 . (original language, but moderately updated) 01. Lo in the Orient when the gracious light 02. Lifts up his burning head, each under eye 03. Doth homage to his new appearing sight, 04. Serving with looks his sacred majesty, 05. And having climb'd the steep up heavenly hill, 06. Resembling strong youth in his middle age, 07. Yet mortal looks adore his beauty still, 08. Attending on his golden pilgrimage: 09. But when from high-most pitch with weary car, 10. Like feeble age he reeleth from the day, 11. The eyes ('fore duteous) now converted are 12. From his low tract and look another way: 13. So thou, thyself out-going in thy noon, 14. Unlook'd on diest unless thou get a son. |
. Sonnet 7 . (paraphrased) 01. Look there, low in the East; when the blessed sun 02. Raises up its gleaming form, each lesser eye below 03. Honors this fresh, newly-appeared sight, 04. Attendant, with their gazes, upon the sun's worshipful, majestic power; 05. And, after the sun has climbed its arc in the sky, 06. It still looks young at noon, and 07. Human gazes still admire its beauty, and 08. Follow the sun on its 'golden' journey; 09. But when, from the highest point, in its tired chariot, 10. The sun, as if it's old and feeble, winds down at the end of the day, 11. The eyes which followed the sun earlier, now loose interest 12. In his low position, and look some other direction; 13. So it will be with you, with yourself fading, after your prime; 14. You'll die unregarded, unless you have a son, (like you, to follow you, and "rise" the next "day.") |
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Sonnet 7 Gloss
L1: Lo = behold. (Note, to the right.) L1: gracious = blessed. The idea is of a sun/son being a 'blessed' thing. L2: burning head = the sphere of the sun. "Burning" = bright, gleaming. The phrase can be read as "gleaming form." L2: under eye = human eye below. (Note, to the right.) L3: Doth homage = worships (loosely speaking.) (Note, to the right.) L3: new appearing = newly appeared. Also, the sun looks new every day, even though it's the same old sun. (Double meaning,) L4: serving = worshipping; honoring; attending. L4: sacred majesty = worshipful splendor. Both a religious and royal figure of speech. L5: the steep up heavenly hill = the ascending arc of the sun's path. L6: middle age = noon (for the sun.) L8: attending = following (with their eyes.) L8: golden - The classic color of the sun. It also implies 'treasured.' L9: high-most pitch = highest point. The phrase hints of music reaching a crescendo. L9: weary car = tired chariot. In classical mythology, the sun was a chariot, or it was drawn in a chariot. L10: reeleth = winds down; approaches an end. Can be read "staggers," like a very old man who walks in a staggering way. L11: ('fore duteous) = dutiful earlier. L11: converted - There's a religious sense, of no longer "worshipping" the earlier power. L12: look another way - (Note, to the right.) L12: low tract - (Note, to the right.) L13: out-going in = declining from; descending from. (Note, to the right.) L13: noon = prime. L14: Unlooked on = unregarded. |
Sonnet 7 Notes
L1: Lo = behold. As exclamation, it means "look." Secondarily, it's read as "low." The sun is literally low, in the morning. As the Sonnet proceeds, there's the implication of sunrise being like the birth of a son. L2: under eye = human eye below. "Under" also implies lesser, inferior. The human eye was taken as being a source of light in those days, but very inferior to the sun. L3: Doth homage = worships (loosely speaking.) In addition to the idea of religion, in feudal law an "homage" was a public ceremony that bound a vassal to a lord. Thus, an "homage" is a formal, public statement of fealty. Both religious language, and feudal language, are implied here. The "sun worshippers" doing "homage," so to speak, would be both like religious worshippers, and like vassals publicly honoring their lord. L12: look another way The low evening sun becomes unpleasant to look upon, too glaring, so people tend to look away from it. Also, in Shakespeare's day, people had few timepieces. People judged the time, through the day, by looking at the position of the sun. Judging workday time by the sun became no longer necessary, or possible, as evening fell. The poetic idea in the Sonnet is that people no longer "honor" the sun as it "gets old" and sets. L12: low tract Literally, the phrase would be "low track." "Tract" is so spelled to go along with the religious metaphor. A "tract" is a statement of position, therefore, "low tract" = low position. L13: out-going in = declining from; descending from. There's nice "going out" / "going in" wordplay. The phrase can be read as "fading after." |
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